2017 may be remembered as the year we finally figured it out. For years, manufacturers have been investing in transformative industrial technology - and these past twelve months have been no exception. 2017, however, wasn't about finding anything new, so much as learning how to apply what we have. Machine sensors, for example...

Americans increased their spending 0.4 percent in December, a solid pace but slower than the big spending burst seen in November. The Commerce Department said Monday the spending gain followed a 0.8 percent surge in November. Incomes were up 0.4 percent, helped by...

When it comes to digital technologies, manufacturers know they've got to "give" in order to "get." After years of emphasizing cost-saving programs to drive lean operations, manufacturers are now focused on propelling outsized top-line results by investing in digital technologies. That's one of the key findings of our recent study, The Work Ahead in Manufacturing, in which...

Replace or enhance? That's the question many people ask when discussing implementing artificial intelligence (A.I.) in the workplace, fearing that computers will put them out of a job. Just this past September, Forrester released a report saying that 6 percent of U.S. jobs may be replaced by A.I. and bots by 2021. For employees, this may...

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a tech-policy think tank, has released a new report that urges President Trump to ignore both condescending criticism and tired laissez-faire thinking and continue forward with his focus on growing U.S. manufacturing. "From his involvement in the Carrier deal to...

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The first Industrial Revolution conjures up images of grimy 19th century factories, belching smokestacks and newly mechanized production equipment. The dawn of the so-called fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, could not be more different and it is laying the groundwork for the Digital Enterprise. None of us will escape the impact of Industry 4.0, so it's vital to comprehend what likely lies ahead. The stakes are high. Consider that since 2000,...

We humans seem to love technology. I guess that is really not a surprise as technology got us out of the trees and into the subdivision. It got us off our feet and into our Fords. What sometimes gets us into trouble is our willingness to believe that technology can somehow, by itself, take care of everything. During the mainframe era,...

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of phones, memory chips and television sets, plans to revamp its authoritarian, top-down corporate culture to become more like a lean startup as it copes with sluggish demand and growing competition. The company said Thursday...

Over the last 10 years there has been significant growth in European and American automotive manufacturers running operations in China, consequently it has been one of the fastest places of growth in the world. However,...